Tuesday, June 23, 2026

What If? Guest Post by Larry & Rosemary Mild


As authors, all of us resort to brainstorming at one time or another, looking for our next great plot. We unshackle our minds and freely fantasize. One day, delighting in our high-rise view of the Pacific Ocean, we wondered…What if we pursued some of our most ridiculous ideas that gave us a smile and a snicker before we discarded them? 

What if Adam, the first man, had erectile disfunction. Where would the rest of us be? Or not be? Would some other being step up, some master intelligence, and become the top being on Earth? Don’t pooh-pooh too quickly. Some prize-winning authors have already run away with intelligent animals.

What if Eve, the first lady, resisted the evil snake and didn’t partake of the apple of knowledge? Would we still be a bunch of goody-two-feet running around with fig leaves? Why did Adam and Eve wear fig leaves when they were the only ones around? How much does a fig leaf cover, anyway? Were fig leaves plentiful, or were they wash-and-dry reusable? Do you properly wear them stem up or stem down?

What if the Tower of Babel construction was halted mid-height by lack of oxygen instead of language diversity? Would there have been mass unemployment of the workers? Did they receive unemployment compensation? What was the existing portion of the building used for afterward? 

What if Noah cheated on the length of the cubit and built his ark too small? Which animals would he have to leave behind? Would he feel guilty about them? Would he have to build a second ark to accommodate all the animalsDid Noah’s wife nag him about leaving some behind? Did he brood about it every one of the forty days and nights of rain? 

What if Joseph, who wore the snazzy jacket of many colors, was never kidnapped by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt? Who would have built all those pyramids? Would he still be able to predict fourteen years into the future from his dreams? 

What if Moses hadn’t killed the cruel guard with the loose whip? Would he have remained a prince of Egypt and one day become Pharaoh? Would today’s Promised Land be located in Egypt? How much rewriting of the holy books would this cause?   

What if David, the kid with a slingshot, missed Goliath altogether with his last rock? Is that why we are overrun by so many Philistine-types today? Did he at least look around for more rocks? Would Dave be in the market for a sports trainer or did he really need an optometrist for a new pair of glasses? 

What if Daniel of the Lion’s Den fame was actually eaten by the lions? Did the lions get indigestion? Was he tasty or did he need seasoning? Can you blame the lions for disobeying menu orders from Upstairs when they were confined to a den?

What if Solomon couldn’t pass the third-grade intelligence or logic tests? Would he have become king? Would he have become confused when he needed to make decisions? Which of the two women claiming to be the mother would he have awarded the child? 

What if there was only one universal language in the world? How would parents keep secrets from their kids? Would we lose all the idioms, double-meanings, and hard-to-pronounce words? What would we do with all our extra books and videos? What would become of language teachers and translators?     

What if the Messiah actually came, but took one look at the chaos on Planet Earth, turned around, and went home? 
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Not all of our fantasies focus on the biblical domain. What if George Somebody, trying to assemble Junior’s bicycle, grumbled, “I need an extra hand.” And he received one. What would he do with it afterward? Which hand would he use to zip his trousers? 
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Back to reality in our condo as we watch ships enter and leave Honolulu Harbor. What if we unleash our lovable golden retriever and welcome back her owner, our disabled ex-cop-turned-PI? Yes, indeed. We’re writing the sequel to Copper and Goldie, 13 Tails of Mystery and Suspense in Hawaii (2019). Sam Nahoe will continue to hobble on his two canes as he stalks criminals and orders Goldie to chase them down. 

Our newest novel is Kauai Spies and Bald-faced Liessequel to Kent & Katcha: Espionage, Spycraft, RomanceCheck us out at www.magicile.com.  

Monday, June 22, 2026

FINGERPRINT AWARD WINNERS 2026


The Capital Crime Festival  (London, UK) announced the winners of its annual Fingerprint Awards, which champion the very best in crime writing from the past year across the globe, as voted for by readers. The shortlists were selected by the festival’s board members from a longlist curated by the Tastemakers Committee, a panel of leading independent bloggers and reviewers, who championed their standout titles across each category. 
 
Audiobook of the Year
  • Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell 
True Crime Book of the Year
  • Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abue and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts-Guiffre 
Debut Crime Book
  • Deadline by  Steph McGovern 
Genre-Busting Book
  • Kill Them with Kindness by Will Carver 
Historical Crime Book of the Year
  • Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee
Thriller Book of the Year
  • Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell.   

  • Overall Crime Book of the Year
  • The Final Vow by M W Craven



Sunday, June 21, 2026

INSPECTOR ELLIS: Season 2



Inspector Ellis, Season 2,  premieres on Acorn TV, Monday, July 6, 2026. Starring Sharon D Clarke as Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Ellis and Andrew Gower as Detective Sergeant (DS) Harper, this four-episode season follows the duo as they work through failing murder investigations across the UK. 

I really like this series. Be sure and watch series 1. It's still available on Acorn. 

Friday, June 19, 2026

THE THIN MAN Martini Montage: National Martini Day!


Today is National Martini Day! Nick & Nora are icons of the martini. Enjoy this Thin Man Martini Montage while drinking a Thin Man Martini. 

Be sure to scroll down and watch "The Thin Man Martini Montage"

Thin Man Martini

Ingredients 
1 1/2 ounces gin 
1/2 ounce dry vermouth 
Garnish: Spanish olive (with stuffed pimento) 

Directions
Add gin and vermouth to mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. 
Strain into  chilled martini glass. 
Garnish with small Spanish olive with stuffed pimento.

Thursday, June 18, 2026

FATHER'S DAY MYSTERIES // FATHER'S DAY CRIME FICTION

Father's Day: A day to celebrate Dad. 
My father was the ultimate reader. His idea of a great vacation was sitting in a chair reading a mystery. It didn't mattered that he was home, the book took him miles away -- and he was comfortable!

Even now after he's been gone these many years, I find myself finishing a mystery and saying to myself, "I have to send this to Dad. He'll love it." It always makes me sad to remember I can't. My father engendered my love of mysteries through his collection of mystery novels and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines. I like to think he's up there somewhere in a comfortable chair surrounded by books, reading a good mystery.

This year I've included True Crime, as well as fiction, on my Father's Day list. I've also included more Short Stories and a Graphic Novel. And, of course, I've updated the list. Let me know if I've missed any titles/authors.

FATHER'S DAY MYSTERIES

Father’s Day by John Calvin Batchelor
The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais
Father’s Day by Rudolph Engelman
Father's Day: A Detective Joe Guerry Story by Tippie Rosemarie Fulton
Father’s Day Keith Gilman 
Dear Old Dead by Jane Haddam
The Father’s Day Murder by Lee Harris
Day of Reckoning by Kathy Herman
Dead Water by Victoria Houston
Father's Day Fugitive by Tonya Kappes
Father's Day by Richard Madeley
Father’s Day Murder by Leslie Meier
On Father's Day by Megan Norris
Father’s Day by Alan Trustman

Murder for Father, edited by Martin Greenberg (short stories)
"Father's Day" by Patti Abbott --short story at Spinetingler
Collateral Damage: A Do Some Damage Collection  e-book of Father's Day themed short stories.
"Where's Your Daddy?" by Sue Ann Jaffarian

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And a list of Crime Fiction that focuses on Fathers and Sons and Fathers and Daughters. Have a favorite Father / Son Father/Daughter Mystery? Post below in comments or send me a note.



FATHERS AND SONS and FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS in CRIME FICTION

The Stay at Home Dad series by Jeffrey Allen
Carriage Trade by Stephen Birmingham
His Father's Son by Tony Black
Her Father's Secret by Sara Blaedel
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
The Lonely Witness by William Boyle
The Controller by Matt Brolly
All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
Secret Father by James Carroll
The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter
The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton & James Patterson
The Hasidic Rebbe's Son by Joan Lipinsky Cochran
The Girl Can't Help It (and others in the series) by Max Allan Collins
Hot Plastic by Peter Craig
The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne 
The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
Killings by Andre Dubus
The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth
Lars and Little Olduvai by Keith Spencer Felton
The Dead Daughter by Thomas Fincham
Unsub by Meg Gardner   
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig
Gnosis by Rick Hall
Atticus by Ron Hansen
King of Lies by John Hart
Damage by Josephine Hart
The Good Father by Noah Hawley
1922; The Shining by Stephen King
Revival Season by Bharti Kirchner    
Cold in July by Joe R. Lansdale
A Perfect Spy by John LeCarre 
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Charlie Chan Returns by Dennis Lynds
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Darksight by D.C. Mallery
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Blood Grove by Walter Mosley 
The Son by Jo Nesbo
Beijing Payback by Daniel Nieh
Ali Cross: Like Father, Like Son by James Patterson
The President's Daughter by James Patterson & Bill Clinton
Sherlock Holmes Dark Son, Dark Father by John Pirillo
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
The Roman Hat Mystery; other novels by Ellery Queen (Manfred B. Lee and Frederic Dannay)
My Son, the Murderer by Patrick Quentin
Paperback Original by Will Rhode
The Senior Sleuths: Dead in Bed by Marcia Rosen
Baby's First Felony by John Straley
The Father by Anton Swenson
City on the Edge by David Swinson
To Die in California by Newton Thornburg
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
Father's Day by Simon Van Booy
The Second Son by Jordan Wells
The Ones Who Do by Daniel Woodrell 

True Crime: So very, very dark! Disturbing...but a new category on the list!

Incident at Big Sky by Johnny France and Malcolm Mcconnell
Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss
Murder in Little Egypt by Darcy O'Brien
If I Can't Have Them by Gregg Olsen
The Poison Tree by Alan Prendergast
Above Suspicion; Death Sentence by Joe Sharkey
Fred & Rose by Howard Sounes

Short Stories: 

"Father's Day" by Michael Connelly in Blue Murder
A Holiday Sampler by Christine Collier
Where's Your Daddy? (Holidays from Hell Short Story Series) by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Murder for Father, Edited by Martin Greenberg, stories by Ruth Rendell, Ed Gorman, Max Allan Collins, Bill Crider and more

Graphic Novels:

Father's Day by Mike Richardson, Illustrated by Gabriel Guzman